New Gaseous Fuel Standard Helps Pave Way to More Efficient Use of Hydrogen

ASTM International Committee D03 on Gaseous Fuels has developed a new standard that will become a valuable reference for engineers designing equipment for the efficient generation, transport, storage and delivery of hydrogen to vehicles and appliances. The standard, D 7265, Specification for Hydrogen Thermophysical Property Tables, is under the jurisdiction of Subcommittee D03.08 on Thermophysical Properties.

Tables in specification D 7265 include information on density, specific heat, viscosity, thermal conductivity and other thermodynamic properties. The tables are for use in the calculation of the pressure-volume-temperature, thermodynamic and transport properties of hydrogen for process design and operations, particularly as they relate to hydrogen fuel cell applications. The tables were produced by equations from a computer package, NIST Standard Reference Database 23: Reference Fluid Thermodynamic and Transport Properties Database (REFPROP): Version 7.0.

According to Donald Archer, research chemist, National Institute of Standards and Technology, standards such as D 7265 are paving the way for the acceptance of hydrogen as a commonly used fuel for transportation purposes. “Hydrogen is accepted today only as an expensive specialty fuel that does not have to compete economically with petroleum-derived fuels or with natural gas,” says Archer. “However, wide introduction as a commodity fuel will require wringing every inefficiency possible out of the infrastructure system, as was required for the generation of gasoline prior to and during the middle part of the 20th century.”

Archer states that Committee D03 always welcomes and seeks new members, whether in the hydrogen area or in other gaseous fuel areas. “The committee actively seeks stakeholders and general interest persons from or interested in the many gaseous fuel industries and invites individuals interested in participating in the standardization process to join the committee and various subcommittees,” says Archer. //